Roberts: I will be guided by law

September 15, 2005

Supreme Court nominee John Roberts on Wednesday assured senators he would be guided by the law, not personal beliefs, on right-to-die cases. He also told the lawmakers that Congress can counter the court's decisions. At the same time, Roberts stopped short of providing his specific views on issues as he has steadfastly done throughout three days of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

PLEDGE BANNED: A federal judge declared the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in three Sacramento-area public schools unconstitutional Wednesday, a decision that could put the divisive issue on track for another round of Supreme Court arguments. The case was brought by the same atheist whose previous battle against the words "under God" was rejected last year by the Supreme Court on procedural grounds.

FACING EXECUTION: Frances Newton met with relatives Wednesday as the U.S. Supreme Court considered a last-ditch appeal to keep her from becoming the third woman executed in Texas since the Civil War, and the first black woman. Newton, 40, faces lethal injection Wednesday night in Huntsville for the fatal shootings of her husband and their two children about 18 years ago.

STRIP CLUB RULING: Seattle's 17-year moratorium on new strip clubs is an unconstitutional restraint on free speech and can no longer be enforced, a judge has ruled. The City Council is expected to vote next week on whether to ban lap dances, which may prevent new clubs from opening.